KUALA LUMPUR, May 9, 2026 – Several Malaysian companies are set to receive formal offers for intellectual property (IP) access or licensing tokens from ARM Limited starting Monday, May 11, marking a major milestone in the country’s ambition to design and produce its own semiconductors.
Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir made the announcement in a video statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday.
“Alhamdulillah. Several Malaysian companies will receive ARM Limited IP access offer letters or tokens this Monday. Yes, this Monday!” he said. “We are not in a hurry, but we are agile to succeed!”
The minister explained that the offers will give the companies immediate access to begin designing their own chips under the “Cip Made by Malaysia” (Made by Malaysia Chips) initiative.
“Several of these local companies will become pioneers in our big ambition to produce our own semiconductor chips,” Akmal said. “All this time we have said it is difficult to shift from back-end to front-end chip design, difficult to create high-paying job opportunities for our youth in the semiconductor industry like this. But if we do it the right way, as we are striving to do now, little by little we will all reap the results. Insya Allah.”
The development is part of a RM1.11 billion (approximately US$250 million) 10-year strategic partnership signed in March 2025 between the Malaysian government and UK-based ARM Holdings. The deal provides Malaysian firms with access to advanced chip design IP, tools, and training programs aimed at building local expertise, including plans to train up to 10,000 engineers in integrated circuit (IC) design.
Malaysia has long been a global leader in semiconductor back-end processes such as assembly, packaging, and testing. The “Made by Malaysia” initiative seeks to move the country up the value chain into higher-value front-end design and innovation, creating skilled, high-wage jobs for young Malaysians.
Akmal stressed a measured yet determined approach to implementation.
The announcement comes as the government continues to advance the partnership despite an ongoing probe by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) into the original negotiation of the agreement.
He concluded by urging the public to watch for further updates: “Insya Allah, look forward to the next update.”
The move is expected to position Malaysia as a more competitive player in the global semiconductor supply chain, aligning with the National Semiconductor Strategy and broader economic goals under the 13th Malaysia Plan.
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